When we arrived at Manning park the sun was shining and it was so warm, we should have made the most of it but we needed time to check out the camper a touch more. The next day was coolish, we planned to hike in the morning and paddle in the afternoon. We had hoped to spend several days here hiking up high to get views above the treeline. On our first walk we encountered a lot of tree fall which meant clambering over and crawling under trees. Talking to the wardens who were busy with chainsaws clearing the trails we found that the higher paths were even worse and possibly impassable. By the time we got back to camp and had lunch the wind had got up and it was raining intermittently - not great weather for canoeing so we postponed until tomorrow. After a very cold night (the site is at just over 4000 feet above sea level) tomorrow came and we booked our canoe whilst the sun was out. In the short space of time it took to get ready to paddle the sky had turned grey and the wind and rain made a guest appearance. We wrapped up to brave the elements. The weather is quite fickle and changes so quickly, in no time at all we were too hot as the weather improved. Our afternoon hike was cancelled because of rain so we made the most of the internet at Manning park resort instead. When we first arrived at Manning park camp ground we chose a pitch close to a Wi-Fi sign so wouldn't have far to walk to connect - the sign turned out to be an amphitheatre sign! We weren't the first to make this mistake and probably won't be the last. Donna splashed out and bought a bear bell - dingles whilst you walk to keep the bears away! Besides bears they also have a lot of ground squirrel here and humming birds which we have never seen before. Amazing to watch as they drink sugar water from feeders, hovering mid-air and dancing back and forth. Their wings flap so much you can hardly see them and of course this makes a humming noise! Another very cold night, one of our down sleeping bags supplemented our quilt and made all the difference. As the higher trails didn't look possible we moved on east, driving along the gravel road from the campground Donna saw a bear's bum! We were both concentrating on the pick-up coming towards us and Donna spotted a bear that must have emerged onto the road then quickly turned and headed back into the trees, hence Donna saw a Bear bum and not a bear! The scenery changed from forested high mountain to fruit growing valleys, vineyards (in Canada!) and then mountain passes over 5000 feet. Signs warned of various wildlife that we may encounter on the road, we didn't see any bears but we did see plenty of deer close to the highway. Our destination was Rossland, home to Hendrik and Francine who we met in Chile. We parked our camper in their back garden and were given a warm welcome of wine, beer and a great dinner. Our fist day, Francine had to work in the morning, Hendrik had borrowed a mountain bike for me and Francine's bike was available for Donna, but she decided to give the two wheels off road a miss. Hendrik and I hit the trails and I tried to keep up (and stay on) whilst Donna explored on foot. Really great mountain bike trails, Rossland has loads of them. After lunch in town, Francine joined us for a hike up Red mountain - in winter this is a ski destination but not for the novices - very steep piste and even steeper off piste. We couldn't quite comprehend how steep slopes covered in rocks, shrubs and trees could be skied down - they have around 25 feet of snow over the winter and everything but the trees is buried in deep snow. We had a swift walk round town - Rossland is very small so it doesn't take long to see the centre. There is still a touch of the wild west here with buildings from the late 1800's standing shoulder to shoulder with more modern developments. One more day in Rossland, we all went for a hike up to a mountain cabin - you aren't allowed to sleep here but hikers and skiers can shelter inside for a lunch. Hendrik made a fire in the wood burning stove and we put our foil wrapped sandwiches on top to make Kootenay sandwiches - toasted cheese. The weather was superb but there was a surprisingly large amount of snow on the trail and we saw bear prints! One more night parked in Hendrik & Francine's back garden and then we are on the move again. It really is so beautiful & peaceful here but we have a lot of territory to cover so we must make tracks. A big thankyou to our Hendrik & Francine for looking after us.